To be jolly for many wonderful things, especially cake!
But not just any cake. Not even CAKEWORKS’s signature Strawberries and Cream, Chocolate Raspberry Decadence, Mocha Macadamia, Red Velvet, or Lemon Crunch cakes! (Then what cake, you ask?)
Christmas Delicacy: Stollen
We know that many of you have been patiently waiting for the arrival of our traditional Christmas Stollen–some of you have even popped in during the year asking for a loaf, to which we regretfully replied “Only during Christmas.”
Rejoice, for Christmas and CAKEWORKS’s Stollen are finally here!
For ten years, Chef Abi has been preparing this specialty German bread. The earliest stollen (circa 1400s), made very simply with oats, flour, and water, has evolved over time into a rich, sweetened cake laden with nuts, spices, marzipan, and candied fruits. Stollen is so cherished in Germany that it is celebrated with an entire festival in the city of Dresden. Every year since 1994, the Dresden Stollen Festival features the grandmother of all stollen–a giant stollen weighing anywhere from 3 to 4 tons–in a procession across the city with Dresden’s bakers and pastry chefs.
While a loaf of our stollen is not that big, it is surely delicious, and it is only made during the month of December. Chef Abi’s Stollen is a compilation of recipes (including her friend Mark’s) which she’s fine-tuned over the years. Preparing stollen is very similar to the process of making brioche (a rich, light, and airy bread that has lots of eggs an butter in it), which she learned in France. Stollen is a dense bread with rum-soaked fruit, almonds, and a roll of marzipan (almond dough) in the middle.
Chef Abi soaks the candied fruit right after Christmas for the following year’s batch. Marinating the fruit in rum for an entire year allows the fruit to soak up juices, which makes the stollen moist. Making stollen is a four-hour long process: the dough takes about 45 minutes to mix, and then it has its first proof (resting period for the dough), after which butter, fruits, and nuts are added. After resting for another 30 minutes it is divided into boules (rounds), and is allowed to rest again. The marzipan logs are shaped, placed in the middle of the rounds, the dough rests again, and is baked. Right out of the oven, the loaves are brushed with butter, which seals in the bread’s moisture and goodness. Once the butter sets, each loaf is powdered with sugar and wrapped. Stollen is lovely fresh, but it does keep for 2-3 weeks.
As you can see, stollen is a delicious labor of love, which can be eaten with tea or coffee for breakfast, or as a healthier option for dessert (it’s well balanced with the four essential food groups: sweetness, candied fruit, bread, and nuts).
- 12 oz loaf $12.25
- 16 oz loaf $15.95
- Available daily
Pumpkin Spice and Eggnog Cheesecakes
Yet another kind of delicious cake: Sharing the same texture as our traditional vanilla cheesecake, the flavors of these holiday cheesecakes are delicious. Our Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake has hints of pumpkin puree and spices, with a handmade gingerbread crust, and topped with CAKEWORKS’s very own pecan brittle candy. Our Eggnog Cheesecake is spiced with rum, nutmeg, and cinnamon, with a house-made graham cracker crust, and a scalloped whipped frosting.
These yummy cheesecakes make a great potluck offering, and are a delightful alternative to traditional holiday desserts.
- 7-inch cheesecake $22.00
- 9-inch cheesecake $36.00
- Please call the bakery to order in advance
We feature our Holiday Stollen and Pumpkin Spice and Eggnog Cheesecakes during the holiday month of December, so please stop by or call the bakery soon, we would love to see you!
Happy Holidays!